Switch



March 12, 1929. A. E. PHI'LLIPS 1,705,136

SWITCH Filed Dec. 12, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY.

March 12 1929- A. E. PHILLIPS SWITCH Filed Dec. 12, 1927 2 Sheets-SheetINVENTOR. r7. [By/440 J WORNEY.

Patented Mar. 12,1929.

UNITED STATES Amman E. PHILLIPS, or ZANESVILLE, 01110.

SWITCH.

Application filed December 12, 1927. Serial No. 239,586.

- This invention is directed to an improvement in current 'controllinswitches designed primarily to provide fbr manual and,

under certain conditions, automatic control of the illumination of alamp;

In connection with automobiles, .for example, it is highly desirablethat temporary illuminating means be provided by which the running-boardand ground immediately adjacent thereto and, if the car is of the closedcar type, the keyhole for the door lock, may be temporarily illuminatedin order to facilitate unlocking the door and enable a person leaving orentering the vehicle to know the character of the surface at the side ofthe vehicle and the location of the runningboard. Illumination of thischaracter, which is at best of short duration and used at infrequentintervals, must be controlled by a switch and this switch must becapable of being opened and closed by hand or manually and shouldadditionally be automatically opened to cut off the current in the actofclosing the door.

The primary object of .the present invention, therefore, is theprovision of a switch which may be closed or opened manually at the willof the user and which, when manually closed,may automatically open tobreak the current by the closing of the door with which the switch isassociated.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a switchembodying a circuit closing element normally held in open position by aspring-pressed control member, the circuit closing element automaticallymoving to circuit closing position following its release by movement ofthe control memher, the switch including a trip to return the circuitclosing element to non-circuiting position with such trip adapted formanual operation or for automatic operation in the closing of the doorwith which the switch is associated.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing sutticient of an automobile toindicate the application of the improved switch.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the switch with the casing in section, theswitch being shown closed and the trip in the position assumed when thedoor of the automobile with which the switch is associated is in closedposition.

Figure-3 is a view similar to Figure 2 with the switch in open position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 with the switch in closedposition and the trip projected to the position assumed when the doorwith which the switch is associated is.

open.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the operatingspring for the control member. 1

Figure 6 is a similar view showing particularly the operating spring forthe circuit 4 of the upright of the automobile frame on which thedoor 5is hingedly supported in the usual manner.

The detail partsof the switch include a control member 6 of bar-likeform rigidly secured to a shaft 7 mounted in the side walls of thecasing. The control member is formed in one edge near its upper end witha recess 8 to receive a bar-like projection 9 of a spring 10 coiledabout the shaft 7 on one 'or both sides of the control member andtensioned to move the upper end of the control member in a directionfrom the face plate 2.

Projecting through and insulated from the upper wall of the casing is acontact post 11 provided beyond the casing for the securing of anelectrical conductor 12 thereto. Mounted on a transverse shaft 13 havingbearings in the side walls of the casing is a circuit closing member 14.This member is provided in one direction beyond the shaft with divergentupper and lower arms .15 and 16 and in the opposite direction with acontact surface 17.

The shaft 13 is arranged in such relation to the lower end of the post11 that when such circuit closing member 14 is in inoperative or switchopen position, the contact surface 17 of said circuit closing member isimmediately below but free of engagement with the post 11. When thecircuit closing member has been operated to switch closing position aswill later appear, the contact surface 17 thereof is in circuitingcontact with the lower end of the. post 11.

if desired, be coiled only on one side of the circuit closing member andthe bar-like portion 19 of the spring form the terminal thereof. Thefunction of the spring is to move the circuit closing member intocircuit closing contact with the post 11 when such circuit closingmember is free to move.

The lower end of the control member 6 is formed with a depression toloosely receive the terminal ofthe upper arm 15 of the circuit closingmember, the lower end of the 7 control member providing an abutment 21having a slightly rounded face. The relation of the control member andcircuit closing member is such that when the switch is in open position,the free end of the arm 15 of the circuit closing member is held in thenotch 20 of the control member, in which position the contact surface 17of the circuit closing member is free of engagement with the post 11,and the spring 18 is under tension.

Immediately below 'the circuit closing member there is arranged a tripmember 22 in the form of a bar having an extension 23 extending throughthe rearwall of the casing 1, which extension is encircled by a spring24 to exert a forward movement on the trip. The forward end of the tripis seated in an opening 25 in the face plate 2, this opening having avertical dimension exceeding the similar dimension of the forward end ornose 26 of the trip, so that such nose end of the trip'is permitted avertical movement.

A spring 27 seating in an openin in the front wall of the casingunderlies the forward end of the trip, bein however, free of any directconnection with the trip. This spring permits longitudinal movement ofthe trip under the action of spring'24 and resists a depressing movementof the forward end of the trip returning the same to normal position.The upuer edge of the trip immedi ately underlies the arm 16 of thecircuit closing member and such upper edge of the trip is-formed with arear depression 28 and a forward depression 29, the abutment 30, whichdivides these depressions, being rounded on the edge next the face plate2 and more abrupt or square on the edge remote-from the face plate. Thetrip 22 is provided with a lateral projection which extends through theside wall of the casing 1 to provide for manual operation of the tripwhen desired.

In the use of the switch in connection with automobiles, the switchcasing is seated in an appropriately formed recess in' the face 4 of thedoor-frame bar and is secured flush with the surface of such frame bar.Where the frame bar is constructed of wood, the switch easing may besecured in place by ordinary wood screws passed through the openings 3,while, where such frame bar is of metal, bolts may be used as a securingmeans. The manner of securing the switch casing in place or its exactlocation is wholly unimportant and forms no material part of the presentinvention as any type of securing means or any specific location of theswitch which will per mit of the result desired, is considered aswithi'nthe spirit of the present invention.

In the application illustrated, the shaft 7 on which the control member6 is fixed is extended beyond the walls'of the casing and through theinner and outer surfaces 32 and 33 of thedoor-frame barin which theswitch is located. The terminals of theshaft 7 beyond the respectivesurfaces of the bar are provided with suitable operating means, as

knobs 34. The handle extension 31 of the trip is also extended. throughthe inner surface 32 of the door-frame bar, being mounted .in atransverse slot 35 in such surface to permit manual operation of thetrip by such handle extension when desired.

It is of course understood that the switch casing and therefore thecircuit closing mem ber 14 isgrounded through the vehicle and that thebattery forming the source of current for the light is also grounded asis usual in automobile construction.

The active circuit leads from the contact post 11, that is, throughconductor 12 to the light indicated at 36 (Figure 7) and from the lightto the battery, this circuit being a conventional one not requiringillustration. Of course, it-is apparent that if it should proveobjectionable to have two wires leading to the 4 light, the light 36 maybe grounded and the circuit wire 12 lead therefrom to the post 11 and afurther lead extended from the circuit closing member 14 to the battery.This of course would require the insulation of the switch casing inorder to prevent a ground therethrough.

The light 36, as shown, is preferably mounted on the rear fender, eitherone or both sides as indicated at 37, so that when illuminated the rayswill reach the keyhole of the door, the running-boards and the groundimmediately adjacent thereto.

In the use of the switch, assuming the automobile door closed and theswitch parts in normal position, as illustrated in Figure 3, anyonedesiring the illumination will turn the control member through operationof the inner or outer knob 34 in a direction to re lease the upper arm15 of the circuit closing member 14. The spring 18 immediately acts tomove the circuit closing member down in circuit closing position, thatis, with its contact surface 17 in contact with the lower end of thepost 11. The circuit is thereby completed and the lamps are energized.On release of the knob 34, the control member 6 tends to return tonormal position under the influence of its spring 10. The free end ofthe arm 15 of the circuit closing member has, however, in the operativemovement of said circuit closing member, moved into the path of movementof the end 21 of the control member. Therefore, the control member, whenfree to act, directly engages the free end of the arm 15 of the switch,tending to more effectively hold the circuit closing memher in circuitclosing position and at the same time preventing the return of thecontrol member to normal position; that is to say, the spring of thecontrol member is still under considerable tension. The parts then arein the positions indicated in Figure 4 of the drawings. If the door hasremained closed during this operation of the switch, the trip member isof course held at its inward limit of movement, the door being providedwith a wear plate 38 to engage the end of the trip member. \Vith thetrip member at its 1nward limit of movement, the operative movement ofthe circuit closing member causes its lower arm 16 to move downwardlyinto the forward depression 29 of the trip member, as illustrated inFigure If the door is opened following this switch actuation, the tripmember, under the influence of spring 24, will move outwardly, the freeend of the arm 16 of the circuit closing member riding over the roundededge of the abutment 30, slightly depressing the trip member in thismovement against the tension of spring 27 until, when the trip memberhas been projected to its limit of outward movement, the free end of thearm 16 of the circuit closing member rests in the rear recess 28 of thetrip member, that is, in rear of the more or less abrupt surface of theabutment 3O. The switch parts are then in the position indicated inFigure 4.

If, under these conditions and relative positions of switch parts, thedoor is closed, the wear plate 38 engages the projecting end of the tripmember, forcing the latter inwardly and causing the abutment 30 toengage the lower arm 16 of the circuit closing member and move saidmember upwardly against the tension of its spring 18. In this upwardment of the circuit closing member, the contact surface 17 of suchmember is moved from engagement with the lower end of the contact post11 and the circuit is broken. In this upward movement of the circuitclosing memher, the engagement between the face 21 of the control memberand the free end of the arm of the circuit closing member is alsointerrupted, the arm 15 moving upwardly. The control member 6 is nowfree to move under the influence of its spring 10 and immediately movesto cause the notch therein to embrace the free end of the arm 15 of thecircuit closing member, thus holding the circuit closing member inelevated or switch open position If, following the operation of theswitch to closethe circuit as previously described, the door 5 remainsclosed or it is desired to extinguish the light without closing thedoor, it is of course apparent that-through the handle projection 31 thetrip member niay be operated to actuate the circuit closing member in, amanner corresponding to its actuation in the operation of the tripmember by the door. This of course breaks the circuit as previouslydescribed and the lights are extinguished.

The switch thus is adapted for manual opening or closing. with thelatter operation performed either from withinior without the automobile,and is also adapted for automatic opening in the closing of the doorwith which the switch is associated. Thus, the driver or other attendantmay close the switch from within or without the automobile and afterentry into the automobile of the last passenger, the mere closing of thedoor extinguishes the lights. Furthermore, the attendant may operate theswitch from within the automobile or from without the automobile toenergize the lamp and open the switch from within the automobile withoutthe necessity of manipulating the door for this purpose.

The invention has an important feature in the provision for manualcontrol alone in closing the switch, combined with manual control andautomatic control in opening the switch, for by manual control alone inclosing the switch it is apparent that the switch will not be closed andthe lightsilluminated merelyby opening the door. This precludes thepossibility of the switch being closed to energize the lights on openingthe door and left in this condition through failure to close orcompletely close the door'on leaving the vehicle. Leaving the door openeither by accident or design will not, therefore, tend to a wastage ofcurrent unless the switch has been manually closed, for as long as thecircuit closing member is in open position, as indicated in Figure 3,the movement of the trip member alone as would follow the opening orclosing of the door is without effect on the switch.

It is of course apparent that the light 36 may be arranged on anyportion of the automobile in order to give light at a particular pointor points and that the invention as a whole is in no way restricted foruse in connection with an automobile. It is designed and intended foruse in any and all places where a temporary light may be desirable andwhich place or places includes a closing member which may automaticallycut the switch in a desired operation of such member. For example,closet doors, room doors, refrigerator doors, garage doors, and allsimilar places are readily adapted for the use of the particular switch,as the light may be manually cut on before or after the door is openedand Will be automatically cut off by the mere closing of the door,coupled with the fact that if the light is not desired, the door may befreely opened and closed without in any way affecting the switch so faras energizing the circuit is concerned.

What I claim to be new is:

1. In combination with a door frame, a door threrefor, a light toilluminate the area in the neighborhood of the door, a switch arrangedin the door frame and controlling the light, means whereby the switchmay be closed from either side of'the door frame, means whereby theswitch may be opened from one side of the door frame, and switch openingmeans responsive to door closing movement, said switch including anelement movable within the influence of said doorcontrolledswitch-opening means in any switch closing operation, whereby the doorcontrolled switch-opening means is without effect on the switch exceptfollowing a manual closing of the switch.

2. A switch of the type described compris- 'ing a contact memberarranged in the circuit to be controlled, a circuit closing memberadapted to engage the contact member to close the circuit, a controlmember normally holding the circuit closing member from engagement withthe contact member, and means to operate the circuit closing member tocircuiting position following movement of the control member to releasesaid circuit closing member.

3. A switch having a contact member arranged in the circuit to becontrolled, a circuit closing member movable to engage the contactmember to close the circuit, a manually operable control member formedto engage and hold the circuit closing member against movement to closethe circuit, means for operating the control member to release thecircuit closing member, and means to operate the circuit closing memberwhen released to cause the circuit closing member to engage the contactmember.

4. A switch having a contact member arranged in the circuit to becontrolled, a circuit closing member movable to engage the contactmember to close the circuit, a manually operable control member formedto engage and hold the circuit closing member against movement to closethe circuit, means for operating the control member to release thecircuit closing member, means to operate the circuit closing member whenreleased to cause the circuit closing member to engage the contactmember, and a manually operable trip to move the circuit closing memberto open circuiting position.

5. A switch having a contact member arranged in the circuit to becontrolled, a circuit closing member movable to engage the contactmember to close the circuit, a manually operable control member formedto engage and hold the circuit closing member against movement to closethe circuit, means for operating the control member to release thecircuit closing member, means to operate the circuit closing member whenreleased to cause the circuit closing member to engage the contactmember, and an automatically operable tripto move the circuit closingmember to open circuiting position.

6. A switch including a Contact member arranged in the circuit to becontrolled, a circuit closing member movable to and from electricalengagement with the contact member, a manually operable control memberformed with a notch to receive and hold the circuit closing member freeof engagement with the contact member, means for operating the controlmember to release the circuit closing member from the notch of thecontrol member, means for operating the circuit closing member intoengagement with the contact member following release operation of thecontrol member, and means whereby the control member is caused to engageand exert holding pressure on the circuit closing member following theengagement of such circuit closing member with the contact member.

7. A switch including a contact member arranged in the circuit to becontrolled, a circuit closing member movable to and from electricalengagement with the contact member, a manually operable control memberformed. with a notch to receive and hold the circuit closing member freeof engagement with the contact member, means for operating the controlmember to release the circuit closing member from the notch of thecontrol member, means for operating the circuit closing member intoengagement with the contact member following release operation of thecontrol member, means whereby the control member is caused to engage andexert holding pressure on the circuit closing member following theengagement of such circuit closing member with the contact member, and atrip operable to actuate the circuit closing member into a position topermit the control member to receive and hold said circuit closingmember in open circuiting position.

8. A switch including a contact post in the circuit to be controlled, acircuit closing member arranged below the contact member and movable toelectrically engage said contact member, said circuit closing memberbeing formed with divergent arms, a springpressed rotatably supportedcontrol member adapted for manual operation and formed with a notch toreceive one of the arms of the circuit closing member to hold thecircuit controlling member in open circuiting position, and a trip tocooperate with the other arm of the circuit closing member followingoperative movement of the latter, said trip being operable to move thecircuit closing member into open circuiting position and move the firstmentioned arm thereof into position to be engaged in the notch of thecontrol member.

9. A switch including a contact post arranged in the circuit to becontrolled, a circuit closing member mounted below the post and movableinto and out of engagement with said post to make and break the circuit,said circuit Closing member including divergent arms, a manuallyoperable control'member formed with a notch to receive one of the armsof the circuit closing member to hold said member in open circuitingposition, means for operating the control member to release said arm,means for operating the circuit closing member when released to movesaid member into contact with the post, and a trip movable below thecircuit closing member and adapted to engage the remaining arm of saidcircuit closing member to move the circuit closing member into opencircuiting position.

10. A switch including a contact post arranged in the circuit to becontrolled, a circuit closing member mounted below the post and movableinto and out of engagement with said 0st to make and break the circuit,said circuit closing member including divergent arms, a manuallyoperable control member formed with a notch to receive one of the armsof the circuit closing member to hold said member in open circuitingposition, means for operating the control member to release said arm,means for operating the circuit closing member when released to movesaid member into contact with the post, and a trip formed with anabutment to engage and operate the circuit closing member following thecircuit closing position of such member.

11. A switch including a contact post arranged in the circuit to becontrolled, a circuit closing member mounted below the post and movableinto and out of engagement with said post to make and break the circuit,said circuit closing member including divergent arms, a manuallyoperable control member formed with a notch to receive one of the armsof the circuit closing member to hold said member in open circuitingposition, means for o erating the control member to release sai arm,means for operating the circuit closing member when released to movesaid member into contact with the post, a trip formed with an abutmentto engage and operate the circuit closing member following the circuitclosing position of such member, and means whereby the trip may bemanually operated.

12. A switch including a contact post arranged in the circuit to becontrolled, a circuit closing member mounted below the post and movableinto and out of engagement with said post to make and break the circuit,said circuit closing member including divergent arms, a manuallyoperable control member formed with a notch to receive one of the armsof the circuit closing member to hold said member in open circuitingposition, means for operating the control member to release said arm,means for operating the circuit closing member when released to movesaid member into contact with the post, and a trip formed with anabutment to engage and operate the circuit closing member following thecircuit closing position of such member, said trip being adapted forautomatic operation.

13. A switch including a contact post arranged in the circuit to becontrolled, a circuit closing member mounted below the post and movableinto and out of engagement with said post to make and break the circuit,said circuit closing member including divergent arms, a manuallyoperable control member formed with a notch to receive one of the armsof the circuit closing member to hold said member in open circuitingposition, means for operating the control member to release said arm,means for operating the circuit closing memberwhen released to move saidmember into contact with the post, and a trip formed with an abutment toengage and operate the circuit closing member following the circuitclosing position of such member, said trip being movable followingoperative positioning of the circuit closing member to set the trip forautomatic operation to move the circuit closing member to opencircuiting position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALFRED E. PHILLIPS.

